


Ambrosia: Fly Me Away

by Airrah11



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, Female Percy Jackson, Male Thalia Grace - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-02-08 16:12:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12868230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airrah11/pseuds/Airrah11
Summary: (Fem!Percy/Male!Thalia) When Thaddeus is free of tree-life a solo quest through the labyrinth ends with him trapped in Ogyia. When Ambrosia finds someone other than she and her mother on the island, she is shocked to say the least. Within seconds of meeting him, she is swept under her curse. But Thaddeus' mind wants only to leave. While his heart says the complete opposite. (Repost of this story- not up to date with my current writing style. I misspell the name for Calypso's island. Lol.)Please tell me what you think!





	1. Chapter One

"She will be subject to Calypso's punishment, Poseidon. Having been born on the island, the ground that bears the curse as well, she will be imprisoned there till the curse is lifted." Athena told Poseidon grimly in the time before the council meeting was to begin.

Poseidon sighed and Athena could see a deep sadness in her rival's eyes. It did her no pleasure to see him in pain such as this. She knew that even he would not wish for this to befall Athena, so why should Athena wish it against him?

Athena put a hand on his arm in comfort. "I am truly sorry, Poseidon. I will visit the child to see if I can limit the curse, but I make no guarentees..."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

When Athena visited the child the next day, she knew something was off about the babe.

The child was beautiful even in her infancy, with black ringlets that framed a heart shaped face and creamy moonlit skin. Her eyes, though. One eye was a beautiful sea-green blue, while the other was a terror-inducing bloody crimson. The infant reached out a hand and gripped a locke of Athena's hair in her tiny fist. She was stronger than any child should be and when she smiled with glee, her smile revealed two tiny, yet sharp, fangs.

"How can this be? A vampiric godling? Was she blessed by Nyx?" Athena questioned Calypso, the mother of the baby girl.

The imprisoned Titaness just nodded grimly. "I have been feeding her ambrosia and nectar, but she is only satisfied by blood." Calypso said quietly, terrified that Athena would tell Zeus and he'd kill her daughter.

Athena rocked the babe and was silent for a moment. "I won't tell, but I'll try to contact Hecate to subdue her hunger till she can feed on her own, or until her immortality kicks in." she said and Calyso agreed.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Athena came back a week later with the potion and supplies to make more if they were needed. Calypso thanked the kind Olympian and carefully took in all of Athena's instructions.

When Athena had hold of the child for one last time she asked Calypso for the babe's name.

"Her name is Ambrosia." She responded.

"I, Athena, bless you, Ambrosia, with all of my domains. May you never truly need them all." Athena said, waving a hand over the babe's face and Ambrosia's eyes were outlined in a grey hue.

"Thank you, my Lady." Calypso said.

Before we part, you must know these things. One, Ambrosia will become fully immortal at the age of eighteen just as any godling. Two, her vampiric traits will begin to surface when she is sixteen. And three, she will begin to gain her domains when she is again, sixteen."

Athena gently placed Ambrosia in her mother's arms and walked over to the cavern wall and lightly tapped it. The wall began to shift and change till it was only a doorway to a hall that led to three rooms. A massive library, another bedroom, and a training room that doubled as a altar room.

"I will now take my leave," Athena said as she vanished in a flash of light.

"It's just the two of us for now on, Amby." Calypso said softly as Ambrosia lightly snored.

"Only us."


	2. Chapter Two

Waking up from being a tree was not on Thaddeus' to-do list. But then again, neither was dying.

The first thing he felt was the grass below him, the second thing was the sun's warmth peeking out through the taller tree's canopies. He blinked his eyes and for just a second, thought he saw a dark-haired girl with the oddest eyes he could imagine. One being sea-green, the other; crimson.

He didn't blink for a moment as he took in her royal features. Pale skin, with a little button nose and rosy lips. He didn't want to blink, but he did.

And she disappeared into the morning mist, leaving nothing behind but a sad song that soon faded out as much as she did.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

When Thad had finally managed to muster enough strength to crawl out from under the tree's roots, he stood and brushed the dirt and twigs off his Green Day t-shirt and leather jacket. Checking his pocket, he felt around and touched his mace can. Thankfully, it was still there.

He checked his wrist next and tapped it, making it smoothly transition into a replica of Aegis. It needed to be polished, but it would survive.

He slowly walked up the hill and looked out over the spread of the camp. Twelve cabins sat next to the lake across from a large hall that had dining tables set up within. An Amphitheatre was further away, along with a few other amenities. Thad decided that he would first make his way to the large house that was closest to the hill.

Before he could make it all the way there, however, a small group made up of rowdy, massively- built people spotted him and made their way over. Clearly they were demigods, from the weapons that they were holding. Thad bet that they were children of Ares just by looking at them.

"Never seen you around, newbie." The largest was a girl that was clearly not fat, but just near- steroidal muscular.

"What year is it?" he asked, his voice raspy and dried out from lack of use.

The girl ignored him and grabbed him by the jacket. "What's your name, newbie?" the girl asked.

Thad reached in his pocket and pulled out his can of mace and twisted the cap so that it transformed into his spear without breaking eye contact.

"Thaddeus Grace." he replied, holding onto the grip on the spear.

The girl dropped him and turned to her siblings. "Bree, go tell Chiron that the boy-tree is alive!" she said to a petite replica of herself.

"Where are Luke and Annabeth?" he asked, trying not to collapse from his quickly draining energy stores.

A small girl came up from behind him and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the big house. "I'm Red." she said as she pulled him along.

Thad felt the Ares' kids follow and more tag on as they made their way to the house.

"What year is it?" he asked her.

"2008." she told him and he began to shake. Everything was sore and his mind couldn't handle it.

The Ares' girl came up and helped him walk.

"Thanks." he managed.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Within hours, Thaddeus' official arrival had set off a virtual bomb. He was a hero to the whole of the camp, since his 'death' had provided them protection from monsters and immortals alike. Quickly, Luke had come to him with news of Annabeth.

She had turned against the gods and Luke, even going so far as to poison Thad's tree. It was a miracle he wasn't really dead. No, Luke, Grover, Clariese, and Nico di Angelo, a son of Hades, had retrieved the fleece and healed the tree, thus freeing Thad from the tree.

Olympus was at war, and Artemis was missing. She had been captured while rescuing Nico's sister, Bianca from the Lotus Hotel & Casino. Otherwise know as The Home of the Lotus Eaters.

The Hunt was currently at camp and Thad knew off the bat that he at the very least, strongly disliked them. To Thad, they were sexist girls and nothing more, and he couldn't really comprehend why Bianca would want to be a part of them. But in the end, she took her vows and pledged herself to Artemis.

The day that the Oracle came out of the attic was the day that Thad knew he was screwed.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Thad's lips were stretched tight as the Oracle faced him after turning away from Zoe Nightshade. Please not me. Please not me. Please not me.

"Into the Labyrinth

You must go

Seeking the one

that was lost below

To fire or ice

Her heart will find

Free from her land's bind"

And... me. Shit.


	3. Chapter Three

Ambrosia stretched out on the sand and let out a peaceful sigh. Away from her mother's presence for now at least. Her mother was acting particularly mother hen-ish this past week. For the life of her, Amby couldn't figure out why.

The only thing that was notable coming up was her birthday, but nothing had ever happened on her birthday before. She woke up, ate, trained, and read. That was basicly it. What could be so special about this birthday? She was only turning sixteen? Why would that matter?

Her mother was hiding something from her, she was sure of it. Amby let out a tired sigh and sat up.

Staring at the water, she closed her eyes and let her power take control of the water and lifted as much as she could up from the seafloor. It moved with her will so easily, that it did not tire her one bit. Amby opened her eyes and shaped some into ice, letting the rest cushion the ice as it floated to the ground. It had taken the shape of a rocking horse and rocked with the wind.

She only wanted to be out there. In the real world. Or at least off the island. Calypso said it couldn't be so, but how Amby wanted it to be.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Thaddeus gripped the flashlight tight in his hand, it had started blinking ten minutes ago, but he was reluctant to change the batteries out till they were dead. So he kept on hand on the mosaic wall to the right of him and made sure to follow that wall as he went further in.

The flashlight gave one last blink and went out completely. "Damn..." Thad muttered, sitting down against the wall. He reached within his pack and took stock.

-pack of batteries

-self-replenishing canteen

-24 granola bars

-extra clothes

-extra jacket

-extra dagger

On him he kept Aegis, his spear, two throwing knives, and armor over his clothes. Thad took out a granola bar and ate it sipping water as he went. When he was done he reorganized his bag and turned the flashlight back on after placing in the new batteries.

For hours he followed that same wall, tracing back stories of past heroes as he went. Perseus and Medusa, Jason and the Argonauts, and they went on and on. They were a good refresher on how to slay various monsters and he was grateful he had something to focus on as he trekked.

Days past and he feared that there would be no way out. That was until he found a sign.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

It was the afternoon of Amby's sixteenth birthday and she felt terribly ill. And absolutely starving. No matter what she ate, her hunger wasn't sated. She had left Calypso alone and was walking along the mountain side of the island, looking for anything to eat. So far she had eaten berries and fruit and vegetables from her mother's garden. Nothing worked.

She hadn't even caught sight of the something that she was craving, of that she was sure.

Suddenly, a few feet in front of her, someone broke through the mountain through a doorway of some sort. She ran forward after pulling a dagger out and approached the person.

As she drew closer she noticed his features grow more defined. He was young, around her age, and had onyx colored hair. His features were mature for his age, and made him look like a man more so than a boy. Amby wanted him to open his eyes, so she lightly tapped him with the hilt of her dagger as she bent down.

"Are you alive?" she asked the young man.

He groaned. Peeked out from underneath his lashes at her. "Yes."

She sat down beside him and her stomach growled. A breeze overcame them and she smelled the air. That was it. That was what she was craving... what was it? She let her gaze drift over his body and she noticed blood trailing down his arm. That was it.

Amby felt her teeth sharpen as her mouth and throat burned. She ran a hand over the blood and licked the fingers it had touched. She wanted more.

She saw red and straddled him before biting into the side of his neck within a heartbeat.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Thaddeus felt a sharp pain in the side of his neck and everything went hazy. But it didn't feel bad. It felt amazing.

Pleasure rolled over him in waves and he grasped the head that was latched to his neck. It was a girl clearly; she had long, silky hair that he could tell was partially up and partially down. Her head was small, and from what he felt, so was her body.

She moaned softly and Thaddeus began to shake himself out of it. What was she doing? She was pulling something... Gods! She was drinking his blood!

Thad rolled them over and she didn't fight him.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

She took long, gentle pulls from his neck and only stopped when she felt the ground beneath her. Instictually, she licked the wound closed and sighed against his chest.

"Who are you?" he asked, looking down at her.

She didn't answer him as she fell into a sated rest. Only her purring could alert anyone to her being alive and not dead.


	4. Chapter Four

A/N: Rereading this story is a nightmare lol. So cringy but hey imma keep posting it because some of ya'll like it. ilysm.

Thad looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms and took the time to take in her features. It was the girl he had seen only for a moment after he'd waken up, he was sure of it. She had the same everything, right down to the rose-tinted chiton that she wore.

He rolled off of her and picked up the dagger that she had dropped. She could get that back when he got some answers.

Thad looked around. He was on a path that was along a range of mountains. Across from him was a dense forest and he worried about the presence of monsters. He could hear the sound of rushing water nearby, which led him to believe that they were near a river.

When he came back to the girl he noticed that her chin was dripping his blood onto her chest. No, she was no girl. She was fully developed and he was sure that she was his age or slightly older.

There was a light glow emanating off of her pale skin and Thaddeus realized that she was a goddess. Or at least more than a demigod.

Her purring ceased and he watched her open her unique eyes and scan her surroundings.

Within the time it took him to blink, she appeared in front of him, standing.

He swallowed, "Who are you?" he asked again.

"My name is Ambrosia." she replied with a friendly smile, that was less friendly considering her fangs.

"I am Thaddeus, son of Zeus." he told her.

She continued to smile at him and Thad couldn't help but smile (only a little) back at her.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You are on Ogyia." she said helpfully.

"Calypso's island. What are you doing here? Are you a monster?" he asked.

"Calypso is my mother, Poseidon being my father. I don't think I'm a monster... what are the qualifications?" she told him, seemingly genuine.

He stared at her for a moment, trying to figure her out. "Then why did you drink my blood?"

Her brows furrowed as if she struggled to find the answer. "I was hungry." she finally said.

That pissed Thaddeus off, badly. "You were hungry!" he yelled and Ambrosia flinched, having never been yelled at before.

"Why are you yelling? I can hear you just fine, I'll have you know." Ambrosia said softly and Thad bit back an angry retort.

Calm down, Thad. She's confused and didn't know what she was doing...he told himself as she walked closer and closer till he had to gently push her back. When he did just that, she looked hurt, or at the very least, offended.

"Is there anywhere I can stay?" he asked her.

She lit up, grabbing his hand and giving him barely enough time to grab his things.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Amby didn't know what to think of Thaddeus. He was the only guy she had ever come in contact with outside of Hermes and Thaddeus was certainly more attractive than his half-brother.

On one hand, he was kind, on the other he was yelly, and Amby didn't like that. No one had ever yelled at her before and she was confused at why he would do so.

Amby looked back at Thaddeus and smiled as she pulled him to the cave that she and sometimes her mother shared.

As Amby had gotten older, Calypso had moved into the caves on the opposite side of Amby's to give her more privacy. Amby didn't think that was true but she never called Calypso on it.

"Wow." he said as they came to a stop outside the cavern. He probably didn't expect the caves to be as modernly-outfitted as they were, Amby realized. Her Aunt Hestia visited Amby and Calypso often enough that she wanted them to have modern conviences such as plumbing, and electricity. The only thing they didn't have was air conditioning but they really didn't need it as the island was almost always breezy.

"Come! I'll show you the rest!" she told him, excited at having someone around to keep her company.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

She showed him the library first and Thad gaped as he looked over the room. It was two stories with floor to ceiling book shelves. Light shone down from the stain glass ceiling. The glass depicted Olympus in all of it's glory. Throughout the room were all sorts of reading nooks and study tables or desks. Pillows leaned against the shelves and there was a self replenishing office supply kiosk in the center of the room.

"How is this stuff all here?" he asked, confused.

"Athena added on the library, training/ altar room, and my bedroom on to the cavern when I was a baby. Eveything else was Aunt Hestia's doing." she notified him and Thad nodded.

She grabbed his hand again and pulled him through another doorway and into a room that served as a training room, armory, and a temple. The wall to the right was lined with weapons of varying shapes and sizes, ranging from xiphos, to axes, to spears, to swords, to guns. Though not as many guns.

On the opposite wall was a wall of mirrors and a ballet bar. The wall opposite the doorway was painted with various sympols related to the gods. In the center was an altar and a small hearth for burning gifts to them.

 

 

 

Thad turned to her, exhaustion slapping him in the face. The day was wearing on him and all he wanted to do was eat something, take a shower, and go to bed. He turned to Ambrosia and told her as much.

She nodded and guided him to the dining table, sitting across from him. Thad blinked and an empty plate and cup appeared in front of him.

"Spirits." she said. "Just picture what you want to eat and it'll appear."

Thad pictured a smothered chicken burrito, like the one he had eaten the last time he had been to Taco Bell. He picked up the cup and willed it to fill with Mountain Dew.

As he ate he occasionally looked up to see Ambrosia looking at him and his food with curiosity.

"What is that?" she asked, pointed at his food.

"It's a burrito." he showed her his green sugary soda, "This is soda."

"So-da." she nodded, testing out the word on her tongue.

"Why aren't you eating? Can't you?"

"Solid food hasn't been working for almost a week now. It just makes me sick."

Thad nodded and took a bite. "Wait. How have you survived, for what sixteen years, without food."

She shrugged, "I don't know and my mother hasn't said anything." she frowned and paused, "She probably knows something. I know she's been keeping something from me."

"Well why don't we try to figure it out tomorrow?" Thad found himself suggesting, hoping she'd give him an out to avoid a run-in with his dyslexia. However, when he saw the frown drop off her face and a happy smile take it's place he knew he was stuck.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~


	5. Chapter 5

When Thad woke up the next morning, he felt a head on his chest and looked down. It was Ambrosia. She was curled over his side looking peaceful and innocent while sleeping. His brows furrowed as he tried to figure out why she was so okay with him.

No one besides Luke and Annabeth had ever been so comfortable in his presence before. Even they weren't known to sleep so close to him . It frustrated Thad to no ends that he couldn't figure out why she was so willing to stick to his side.

Ambrosia sighed gently and he noticed that she was coming to. Thad tried in vain to slip out from underneath her before she woke, but alas it did not work.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

When Amby opened her eyes she looked up and into Thadeus' face. He looked somewhat pained and she wondered why. She turned over on to her stomach and reached out to touch his face but he caught her hand in his before she could.

"We're going to have to talk about bounderies." he said to her and she tilted her head to the side.

"What are these bounderies you speak of?" she asked.

"Um... you know social bounderies? Don't you have books on social customs in that large library of yours?"

"I have books on culture and the like but nothing on 'bounderies'. Perhaps Athena never thought that I would need them?" she pondered aloud.

"Perhaps." he replied, looking around the room.

Amby stood up after she slid out of the bed. She walked over to the dresser and pulled out another gown that was similar to the one she wore before except that this one was black with gold thread holding it together. She, without turning around, dropped her nightgown off her shoulders and stepped out of it.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Thad blushed a deep crimson and looked away. But his mind had already seen what could not be unseen and implanted that in his memory. Ambrosia was perhaps the epitome of feminine beauty with long legs and milky curves.

"Why do you look away?" she asked, looking at him through the mirror.

"Um... usually people don't get naked around me?" he said like it was a question and not a fact.

"Does nudity bother you? Is that normal?" she asked, turning around to face him. Thad opened his eyes and quickly moved them up to her face. Gods. No shame in that one. No shame.

"No," he said swallowing then quickly retracted his statement, "No.. Yes. It makes me uncomfortable," he said, "It's normal for peole to feel uncomfortable when... faced? With nudity, I mean." he told her and she frowned.

"I don't understand. Why would that be? Everyone is born naked, why should that make people uncomfortable?"she wondered, still not wearing any clothes.

"It just does...Can you please put some clothes on?" he practically begged, placing a pillow over his crotch in an attempt to hide his rapidly hardening erection.

She looked hurt, "Is my form not pleasing?"

"No, it's just... it's just... Look, your really pretty, and as a guy, that makes my blood rush to the one place I really don't want it to. It would make things akward..." he trailed off and Ambrosia appeared at his side, as if she'd teleported there. Or something.

Ambrosia leaned over him and her... assets touched his arm as she kissed his cheek.

"Thank you," she said, "But how does that make things akward? What is the definition of akward?"

"Put some clothes on, then, and only then, can we continue this conversation." he told her.

She frowned but did as he asked.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

An hour later, they were both in the library looking through books on magic, gods and their blessings, and myths. Thad sighed and pinched his nose in frustation, his dyslexia had just gotten worse as he got older.

Ambrosia looked up from her book when she head his sigh. She crawled over to him and reached over his head into the kiosk to pull out a pair of reading glasses. "Here," she said, "Try these."

Thad put them on and was surprised when the letters didn't float off the pages. "Thanks," he said.

"You can keep them." she told him and nodded towards the kiosk, "More'll just appear later on."

She looked at her book and it slid over to her position beside him.

"How do you do that?" he asked.

"Calypso taught me magic for entertainment as a child. It was interesting and harnessed my attention for long amounts of time after I ran out of things to do during the day besides reading."

"Sounds and looks useful," he stated, jealousy making it's way into his voice.

"It is. I can teach you some, if you'd like." she offered, not picking up on it.

"I would," he said taking her up on her offer.

She smiled at him and leaned back on a pillow, picking her book up again.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

It was hours later when Amby came across it. She slid closer to Thaddeus and pointed to the subsection of the chapter on Primordials.

"The Blessing of Nyx," he read aloud, "This blessing carries very unique attributes that resemble more of a curse than a blesssing. Bearers are known to have pale skin, slow heartbeats, and fangs to feed off of gods or god-related beings. They are typically faster than the swiftest of monsters and stronger than that of Hercules. Bearers are few and far between, with only one being born every century or so.

"They are known to be extremly beautiful in looks though that is primarily just to draw in prey. All are subject to a primal hunger for ichor. Human or animal blood will never truly sustain them, or if it does, not for long. They may also have powers over darkness, shadows, and the other domains of Lady Nyx. Note: This blessing usually only occurs in godlings or those that are destined to be immortal." he concluded.

He looked up at her and his cobalt eyes made Amby feel as if he was looking deep within her. "If bearers are born with the blessing, how come it's only surfacing now?" he asked and she was silent for a time, thinking over her memories as a child.

The only thing that came to mind was the one time when she was only ten years old and became terribly sick. She couldn't and wouldn't eat or drink anything. She had lost what color she acquired over the years in her skin and it had never returned. Her mother had cured her with a foul-tasting and foul-smelling potion that she had made expertly underneath the moonlight.

Amby came out of her thoughts and told him what she recalled of the time. He listened to her and asked questions every now and then for clarification or to jog her memory. The latter not having to be done often as she had an identic memory.

He picked up her book and turned to the chapters over the Olympians and their blessings. "Better to cover all out bases," he said and she agreed. They went through every Olympian till they got to Athena.

"The blessing of Pallas Athene," she said, reading over the section.

"Bearer expierience extreme curiosity and no learning disabilities. They are quick to learn and quick to form battle strategies when faced with a fight. They are proficient with almost every weapon though they favor bladed weapons typically. They are able-minded architects and skilled with almost any craft imaginable.."she trailed off and silently read the rest.

She nodded when she was done reading and they skimmed over the rest.

She closed the book and put it down before turning to Thaddeus and grabbing his hand. "Come!," she said, "I've something to show you!" she laughed and he smiled at her.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

She led them away from the mountains and down to the beach. They walked hand-in-hand for a while before Thad began to spot ship wrecks. The coast line was dotted with them. As a child of Zeus, Thad was hesitant to step near the water and Ambrosia clearly took notice.

She gently, yet forcefully, pulled him to the water's edge. "Don't worry, my father won't take action against you while I'm here at least." she assured him.

Thad wasn't so sure about that and tried to skirt around till she completely pulled him into the water. "Can you swim?" she asked.

"Uh... in a pool?"

She smiled and laughed, "No, in general."

"Yes?" he tried.

"Good." she said as she pulled him into deeper water.

When the water was up to her chest, she, still holding his hand, swam out a little further and helped him get his bearings. They floated like that for a while, and Thad felt himself relaxing.

The softly waving water calmed him while he made sure to keep ahold of her hand. "See," she said, "It's not so bad."

She came closer to him and wrapped both of his arms with her hands, pulling him closer and drawing her arms around his neck.

"What are you doing?" he asked her as she drew them both underwater. He held his breath until she formed an air bubble around him.

"Come on," she said, pulling him towards a hole in a rock formation. They were sucked in and flushed out twenty-five feet away. She pulled him up till the air bubble popped and stale caverous air filled his lungs.

Her brows furrowed in concentration and he felt the water push up on his feet till he was standing on water. She froze the water beneath them into ice and guided him to a stone bench surrounded by blue flowers.

He shivered in his wet clothes and Ambrosia placed a hand against his chest, just over his heart, and dried his clothes.

"Why are we here?" he asked leaning back against the wall. It was surprisingly warm, while the marble bench beneath them was cool.

"I wanted to show it to you."

"What? The room or something else?"

"The room and also this," she said, pulling out a box from behind some of the flowers. She held the box out to him.

Thad took the box from her and looked at it cautiously. It was held closed by a mechanism of some sort. The box itself was made of mirrors that reflected the barely-there light from the water.

Before he could unlock it, Ambrosia placed a hand over his and forced him to look at her. "Why are you here, Thaddeus?"

He put the box down on the floor and blushed. "Call me Thad," he asked.

She smiled at him, "Then, please, call me Amby."

"Alright." he replied. He looked down at his feet and felt her scoot closer.

"You didn't answer my question," she reminded gently.

"I was sent on a quest." he told her, "I was to go into the Labyrinth in search of someone."

"Who?" she asked.

"I don't really know." he paused, "I was given a prophecy by the Oracle."

"What did the Oracle say?" she asked, grabbing his hand to force him to stop messing with it.

"Into the Labyrinth, you must go, seeking the one, that was lost below, To fire or ice, her heart will find, free from her land's bind." he repeated and she was silent for a few minutesin consideration.

"Well, you came in here from the Labyrinth, I'm assuming?" he nodded.

"Ogyia is from what I can gather, below the equator." she paused, "You must be seeking either my mother or I, though I think it must be my mother because of her curse."

"You don't have it?" he frowned.

"Not that I can tell. No hero has ever approached me before you. A couple came when I was a child, but then again, why would a child bear a love curse? It would make no sense..." she trailed off in thought.

"Are you sure you aren't subject to the same curse? It is, apparently, a curse on the land of Ogyia, not just a certain individual."

"If the prophecy is as clear as that. I've never read about a prophecy being so black and white." she said rather defensively.

"Well, do you love me?" he asked quietly. Amby looked away and he sighed. Of course not.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Amby didn't want to answer him. The answer scared her. She loved him, and though she knew why, what was to say that it wasn't just the curse? No, better to let him think that she didn't. What if she scared him away? Or he had to leave with her mother? Amby didn't want to make him feel guilty if he left her.

But what if it was indeed her mother? She would be completely alone on the island. The only people she had ever cared for leaving her? That wasn't a pleasant thought. Not at all.

So she resolved to try to harden herself to him. But gods, that would be difficult.

He might be far from perfect, but she thought the world of him. Thad made her happier than she had ever been and he was patient with her. He helped her discover more about herself in the past day then she had done by herself in the whole of her life.

He was angry and frustrated almost all the time, but she wanted to help ease his feelings. Amby loved the brief smiles she caught from him and everytime he let one slip she felt... really good.

Gods, she didn't think she'd ever want anyone like this again, and it scared her in such a way that she didn't know what to do. Maybe when he inevitably left her her feelings would leave as well? Amby hoped and lamented for the leaving of such emotions.

She stood and handed him the box. He took it, but left her outstretched hand alone and walked in front of her. She flinched at the hurt she found herself corrupted by. She followed him onto the ice and willed the water to gently submerse them and encompass them in an air bubble.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

As they stepped back onto the beach, the sun's last rays reached out over the horizon as if it were holding on for dear-life. Amby could sympathize.

He didn't touch her again for the rest of the night and went out of his way to sleep on the couch, even when she insisted, he refused.

"I think tomorrow we should go visit Calypso," he said with his back turned away from her.

"Okay." Amby said sadly as she left the room, and closed the door to her bedroom with tears slowly streaming down her face. If this was rejection, Amby didn't want to ever feel it again.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Thad leaned back against the cushioned back of the couch and sighed. His head and everything hurt, but mostly his ego. But he had been used to that since before he had hooked onto Luke and Annabeth. No one ever stayed for long. No one.

Perhaps Calypso was the one he was meant to find, and he couldn't be sure till he met her. But Hades, did that thought pain him to think of.


	6. Chapter 6

Amby woke up early the next morning and took her time in front of the mirror. Her eyes had been red and puffy after last night and she wanted to take a relaxing shower before she had to introduce Thad to Calypso. Amby stepped out of her nightgown and grabbed a towel.

She left the room only to return a moment later and grab a red silk robe as an afterthought.

Making her way through the living room she caught sight of Thad sprawled out on the couch. One leg hung over the back of the couch , the other; hanging off the front. He had one arm tucked beneath his head and the other laying on his chest. Amby smiled at him. He looked relaxed and without care as he slept and she hoped it helped at the very least, provided him with an escape.

Amby walked to the back of the cave where part of the room was cordoned off by curtains. Walking in, she pulled them closed silently and walked over the stony floor in her bare feet to the shower.

Placing her towel over the glass that separated the shower from the rest of the bathroom, she hung her robe on a hook on the wall. Amby turned on the shower and waited for it to heat up before stepping inside.

Amby sighed under the warm spray of salt water. It renewed her strength and refreshed her better than any rest did.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Thad woke up to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. He let out a sigh and stretched out like a cat. Granted, the couch was too short for him, but boy, was it comfortable. He groaned when his joints popped and slid into a sitting position.

He looked at the blank tv across from him and rubbed his eyes. It couldn't be. No. Not possible.

It was.

Thad ran to the bathroom and threw open the curtain before sliding on the damp floors to the mirror. He poked and prodded at his face repeatedly. What happened to him?

Thad couldn't believe his eyes. He had aged! While when he first got here he was fifteen, he clearly wasn't anymore.

`His bone structure had matured and his skin had cleared of the light acne he had. His eyes had darkened from a pale blue to a navy and he had gotten taller. He went from 5"8" to 6"1" within, what, three days?!

Thad heard the water turn off and the towel slide off shower door. Amby was humming underneath her breath and it helped him stop freaking out. Well, it helped him stop freaking out as much, that is.

She stepped out of the shower, drying her hair with the towel and looked shocked to find him right outside the door. Thad looked her over and swallowed. Water trailed down her skin and damn, was it enticing.

"Would you like me to put on the robe?" she asked, pointing at the small piece of silk hanging off the hook beside the mirror. Thad nodded. He didn't trust himself to try to form words. He lightly snorted at the thought. Another way to embarrass himself, no thank you.

She stepped out and around him, picking it up and putting it on once she was done drying off.

He went back to looking at his reflection. She met his eyes in the mirror.

"What's happening to me, Amby?" he asked softly and she put a hand on his shoulder.

Amby was silent for a while, looking for answers. "Maybe your aging is catching up with you. Or perhaps it's Ogyia. Time isn't the same here as it is in the mortal world." she said.

"Do I look older?" she asked him.

Thad looked her over. She kinda did. Not too much older, but certainly more so than when they first met.

Her hair had grown an inch or two, and she had grown maybe an inch. Her eyes were the same, though he had just took notice of the grey that outlined her pupils. She had never had any marks marring her anything in the first place, though. The most noticeable thing was perhaps the lack of any baby fat on her face. She had definitely aged.

"Yes." he told her and she smiled at him, "Everything will be okay," she said, turning him around.

"I think we should ask your mother." he stated.

"We can, but she hasn't aged since before she was imprisoned here. And she says I age like most godlings do. Fast." she replied reluctantly.

Thad sighed and looked down. He felt Amby come closer and she drew him into a hug. She wasn't as warm as normal people, but certainly not cold. He slowly drew her closer, holding her tight and flush against him.

She had to feel something for him, he thought. She had to, why else would she care enough about him to stay this close?

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Amby stuck to Thad's side as she guided him around the island to Calypso's main residence. Occasionally she would look up at him as they walked, though he seemed lost in thought.

It was one of those times when she looked up at him, "Are you okay, Thad?" she asked him and reached out and squeezed his hand.

"Yeah… If not right now, I will be." he said and kept walking.

They walked in silence for a while till they came to a cave entrance. It was narrow, so they walked single file with their hands between them.

"μαμά!" Amby called out and heard footsteps walk towards her and Thad.

"Amby!" her mother called and Amby smiled.

They walked out of the long hall and into a small, but cozy living room. Amby's mother was waiting for them when they got into the room.

Calypso was a beautiful girl who had long hair the color of cinnamon and dark almond eyes. She was petite and currently appeared to be the same age as Amby.

"Mama, this is Thad. A son of Zeus." Amby introduced, stepping aside so that Calypso could get a good look at him.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Calypso looked from her daughter to the young demigod that stood slightly behind Amby. He dwarfed her daughter by several inches yet looked right next to Amby. Calypso lightly sighed. This one was not meant for her, but Amby.

She never wanted her daughter to go through this and had hoped and prayed that the curse would overlook her child. It was apparently not to be and Calypso knew that this was the day she would have to spill the secrets she had been keeping from Amby all of her life.

"Come." Calypso said, guiding them over to the sitting area where two chairs and a loveseat sat. The duo sat on the loveseat, while Calypso took up one of the wingback chairs in front of the hearth.

Thad was the first to speak, "Why have I aged within being here for the past three days? Why has Amby aged?" he asked.

"Amby ages irregularly, Hermes tells me that a week on the outside world is a year here. Occasionally, time has made the heroes that come here age irregularly as well. Whether that be by speeding up the aging processes or drastically slowing them down. It's confusing I know." Calypso sympathized with the son of Zeus. She had seen young heroes age themselves a decade while staying on Ogyia.

"Will it stop?" Amby asked Calypso and Calypso nodded. "Yes." she said.

"At some point."

Calypso looked at Amby. "Have you been feeling strange lately?" she asked her daughter.

"I can't eat solid food anymore. It makes me ill. The only thing that doesn't is blood."

Calypso's eyes narrowed and she looked between the two. "How did you figure that out?"

"I kinda drank his…" Amby trailed off,blushing and not meeting her mother's gaze. Calypso sighed.

"I should've told you."

"Damn straight," Thad muttered, interrupting Calypso.

Amby placed a hand on his arm and Calypso knew that her daughter was enamoured with him.

"How much do you know?" Calypso asked.

"We know about Nyx's blessing and guessed that it was likely that I also bear Athena's." Amby told her.

"Have you developed any abilities?" Calypso questioned.

Amby's brows furrowed, "Nothing." she said.

"Maybe none of your domains have power here? That or you haven't gained any that are connected to Ogyia yet." she paused, "We can only wait as we have no way to tell when they will surface…"

Suddenly a man's voice could be heard from the outside the caves. "Shut up, you two!" he yelled.

Calypso smiled, "Hermes." she said.

Hermes was mumbling when he appeared in the cave. "Stupid snakes…" he muttered.

"Hello, Hermes." Calypso said, standing up and walking to him.

Hermes looked up from his cell phone and smiled at the Titaness. "Calypso!" he cried happily.

"How is work going?" she asked as he handed her a golden envelope and a package.

"I need a break as always, but that is, as always, terribly unlikely." he replied sadly. She nodded kindly and held up the items.

"Who are these from?" she inquired.

"The fates, they said, and I quote, 'In light of Calypso's daughter's recent aging, she is to be given these as soon as possible.' Ladies of mystery, the fates are." Hermes said.

Calypso handed the envelope and package to Amby and Hermes noticed them.

"Why hello, little brother." he said to Thad, then looked at Amby, "Good to know, you got yourself a girlfriend." he teased and Thad frowned.

"Well, I better take my leave…" Hermes said, trailing off but sounding hopeful.

"Oh! Don't leave without some of these!" Calypso cried out, running to the oven and pulling out blue cookies. "They're fresh!" She smiled and Hermes took two for the road.

"Thanks, Calypso." he grinned and kissed the smaller woman's cheek. "You're the best!" he said as he flashed out.

Calypso walked back into the sitting area and sat back down. "Open your mail," she said, "It must be important if the fates sent it."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Thad watched as Amby open her letter with shaky hands. He reached out and stilled her hands with his own. "Just breathe," he told her and she nodded.

She began again, much calmer than before but still anxious. Thad watched her carefully peel open the envelope without ripping it. Inside the envelope was a piece a parchment folded into thirds. It shimmered like golden thread under the light and was written in elegant cursive.

"Ambrosia," she read, "Enclosed in the box you will find access to the tools used within your domains and your symbol of power. On each of the dates listed below you will receive a domain."

The dates were printed harshly against the paper- only days away.

"On the last day you will also receive your titles. You will train while you sleep. Sincerely, the Moirae. P.S. Burn this!" Amby finished and memorized the dates before walking over to the hearth and burning the letter.

Thad watched as a golden light overcame Amby till he could look no longer. He looked at the box instead and watched as it fell over and flew open. An object flew out so fast that he couldn't make out what it was.

When the golden light died down he turned back and was shocked to find Amby collapsed on the ground.


	7. Chapter 7

Amby awoke with her head in Thad’s lap on the floor. He was leaning against a chair with his legs criss-crossed on top of the rug. Underneath her head was one of her mother’s beloved hand-stitched pillows. Thad was asleep, with his head laying on the arm of the chair.

 

Amby, trying not to disturb him, sat up and gently turned around and sat beside him against the chair. She closed her eyes and began to meditate to the sound of his breathing. It was rhythmic and it was all she needed to relax.

 

When she opened her eyes again she was no longer sitting in her mother’s cave but in a large hall of some sort. It wasn’t a hallway, but an actual hall. In the center on a dais sat three three women in rocking chairs.

 

The first was a young maiden, a couple of years younger than Amby, leaning forward in her chair and spinning at a spinning wheel. She had golden skin and almond-colored hair. She was pre-pubescent, with a tiny frame and no curves to speak of. She bled from her fingers and occasionally blood would dye the thread in spotty gold-flecked crimson. Amby knew it was Clotho.

 

The second was a woman later in life, but still young enough to sire children. She was radiant with a glow that only mothers had. When she rocked back, Amby could spot the beginnings of a pregnant belly She measured the thread Clotho would pass her with a divine rod and then pass it to the eldest woman. The measurer was Lachesis.

 

The third and final woman was a matron woman. A crone. She had a wise aura coming off of her in waves that only experience could give you. Her hair was a silvery-white and her skin was deeply inlaid with wrinkles. She rocked calmly back and forth as she took the thread Lachesis passed her and held it for a moment before severing it at a chosen place. The crone was Atropos.

 

Lachesis, without stopping in her work once, spoke, “Come forward, Ambrosia. It is time that you knew of your first domain.”

 

Amby walked up to the dais and bowed.

 

“No need to bow to us,” Clotho muttered. “We only ask that you listen and do as we bid you to, when necessary, of course.”

 

Her other sisters hummed in agreement.

 

Amby rose from her bow and spoke, “I can do that.” she said and Atropos looked at her for the briefest of moments. “I should hope so.” she muttered at Amby scornfully and Amby felt herself blush.

 

There was nothing but the sound of the Fates working for a few minutes.

 

“Do not take up our time more than necessary, Ambrosia. Ask your questions then leave.” Atropos said shortly and Amby swallowed down her apprehension. The Fates were intimidating. Amby waged that they could scare even Zeus into submission.

 

“Am I immortal?” she asked and Atropos snorted.

 

“You will be when you gain your titles and your final domain.” Clotho told her.

 

Amby nodded. “What is my first domain?”

 

The three sisters looked at her and spoke in unison.

 

“Hail Ambrosia, daughter of Calypso and Poseidon, goddess of blessed Intelligence.” they said and their voices rang throughout the large hall.

 

“Isn’t that Athena’s domain?” she questioned the sisters and Lachesis laughed.

 

“Child, wisdom is her domain. Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. Intelligence is the possibility of reaching your potential, while wisdom is potential reached.”

 

Amby nodded and let it sit in her mind for a moment and sink in. Shouldn’t they have wisdom in their domains?

 

The Moirae just smiled at her, as if hearing her thought. They probably did.

 

“Anymore questions?” Clotho asked and Amby thought about it for a moment.

 

“Just one. How will I ‘train’ in my sleep? Will it make me tired?”

 

“Tsk. Tsk. That’s two.” Atropos scolded and Amby frowned at the old woman.

 

“Simple, while your conscious rests, your subconscious will train. You will wake as you always do, well-rested.”

 

“Wait. How does Thad fit in with all of this?” Amby asked, “Is what I feel for him the curse?”

 

Lachesis handed another thread to Atropos and spoke without looking up from her work. “I can answer that.”

 

“Thaddeus is not meant to be the prophecy child,” Lachesis said, “He never was. But it was never his fate to truly die.”

 

“What’s meant to happen to him?” Amby inquired and Lachesis shrugged.

 

“That, my dear, is all up to you.”Lachesis smiled kindly, “However, be aware that he is the only one that can currently keep your hunger sated. If you are not sated, your sanity will not remain intact for long. And that can lead to needless deaths at your hand.”

 

Lachesis waved her hand and Amby parted company with the fates, hearing Lachesis’ parting encouragement ring in her head.

 

“Emotions such as yours are not meant to be bottled, or restrained.”

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

 

Amby opened her eyes to see Thad looking down at her. “You looked like you were zoned out.” he said.

 

“What does ‘zoned out’ mean? I was meditating.” she paused, “The Moirae contacted me.” she admitted.

 

“Really?” his eyebrows rose and he looked shocked. “I didn’t think they would clarify. What with them being all ‘dark and mysterious’.” he said.

 

“They were blunt with some answers, but were hazy with others.” she told him and he nodded.

 

Thad grinned, “So what’s it feel like?” he asked.

 

“What does what feel like?”

 

“Being immortal, I mean.” he clarified.

 

“I’m not. Or at least not yet.” She told him, “Not until I gain my last domain and titles.”

 

Thad nodded and Amby smiled at him.

 

They both looked towards the doorway as they heard Calypso walk into the room. Amby’s mother was quiet and looked confused and frustrated. She sat in the chair opposite them and began to speak, “I don’t understand,” she began, “Athena said you would begin getting your domains when you were sixteen. You were supposed to stop aging when you were eighteen, and yet, you only look seventeen. And then there is the fact that your sixteenth birthday was only less than a week ago…”Calypso sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

 

Amby stood and walked over to her mother, pulling Calypso into a hug. “It’ll be alright, Mama. It’s confusing, but have confidence that everything will be as it should, in the end.”

 

“Thank you, daughter. Excuse me, I’m going to go and tend to my garden.” Amby smiled softly at her mother and sighed after Calypso had left the cave.

 

“She’s worried.” Amby said and Thad made a sound of agreement.

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

 

As they walked back along the path to Amby’s home, Thad didn’t let go of her hand. He didn’t want to. He wanted to savor being in her presence and never let go. He would have to soon. He wasn’t meant to stay here. The others needed him and they were fighting a war. Kronos would not stop simply because Thad wasn’t there.

 

Amby looked up at him with her odd eyes. He didn’t look back, if he did he wouldn’t look away.

 

Amby, after diverging onto a path that led to a creek and small waterfall, guided Thad up the creek till it became a deeper river. A dear and her doe were drinking the water fifty feet ahead of them and Amby pressed a finger to her lips to make sure he didn’t break the silence. It occurred to Thad that the deer were the only animals he had seen on Ogyia. He hadn’t even really heard any birds. Sure, there was a stray squawk every now and then, but other than that, nothing.

 

“I don’t want you to leave.” she whispered to him after they sat down with their legs in the water. 

 

Thad was shocked at her statement. Could that mean what he thought that meant? Did she care for him?

“Amby…” he said softly.

 

She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. Thad didn’t fight her.

 

“Stay with me.” she said and Thad was pulled closer to her. He couldn’t stay with her, but that was all he wanted to do.

 

“I don’t think I can.” Thad whispered and he saw something flicker in her eyes before she leaned into him and crashed her lips against his.

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

 

Amby didn’t think. She just acted and if action payed off this well, she would have to act more often.

 

Thad grabbed hold of her face and drew her closer. Amby bit into her lip briefly and felt her blood well to the surface. She sighed softly and heard him groan.

 

Amby was flush against him and felt everything. She was hyper-aware of her body and surroundings and wondered if this happened to everyone. Probably not, she decided.

 

She pulled her legs out of the water and layed back into the grass, pulling him down with her. He was flush against her and she felt his heat sink in through her clothes. She moaned and felt one of her fangs break his skin. His blood dripped onto her tongue. It only intensified her desire and she ran her hands up his torso, sliding his shirt up.

 

Thad broke their kiss and helped her pull his shirt off and when it got stuck for a moment on his head they both laughed lightly before continuing.

 

Her legs were open and she felt something hard against her thigh. She moaned as Thad ran his hands over her thighs and held onto her hips. Her dress had ridden up and her lower regions were wet with her pleasure.

 

His jeans were still on and they were rough against her body. She moaned as Thad nipped on her neck and bucked against him. He groaned and thrust against her and she felt herself become even more sensitive.

 

He started thrusting against her and she rocked up in time and met him with her own. As their movements became rougher and more laboured, Amby felt her pleasure heightening and she wondered what it was leading up to.

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Thad groaned and he slid his hands up to her breasts and rubbed little circles around her nipples with his thumbs through her thin dress. She was so soft and warm.

 

He heard her breathing increase in pace like his and realized they were both fast approaching something powerful.

 

Thad felt his mind get hazy and felt a tightening in his gut and began to thrust faster and faster. Amby dug her nails into the skin of his back and he felt her bite into his neck as he orgasmed.

 

She drank from his neck in deep pulls and it served to only heighten what he felt. He heard her moan and felt her lick the bite closed. Thad felt her shake under him with the after effects of her own pleasure.

 

Thad rolled off of her and onto the grass beside her. He laughed. “Well how about that?”

 

Amby let out a girlish giggle and ran her fingers over his hand. “That was…” she trailed off.

 

“New. Definitely new.” he said and sat up. Thad smirked at her.

 

“I bet you that maidenhood is not a domain of yours.” he told her and she set him a lazy smile.

 

“I hope not.” was all she said.


	8. Chapter 8

Amby sat awake that night listening to Thad’s heartbeat as she thought about, well, everything.

 

In her fiction books they never (or almost never) mentioned what she and Thad had done. Amby thought that Athena had perhaps done that intentionally as Athena is a maiden goddess. Amby thought that the romance books that she had loved were now missing the true passion that came with love.

 

Amby knew what sex was from the health textbooks she had studied, and she knew from that that she and Thad had only touched the surface of it, but she had never thought that it would be anything other than a way of reproducing.

 

Calypso was never one to speak of ‘scandalous’ topics and so Amby had learned purely from books. The closest thing she had ever heard from Calypso about sex was the conversation over where babies came from.

 

“Children are conceived out of love,” she had said. “Or at least that is how it’s meant to be.”

“Conceived by who?” Amby had asked.

 

“By the mother and father,” Calypso told her, “When a woman loves a man, and vice versa, a baby is soon born.” Calypso aforementioned before she had abandoned the conversation in light of her beloved garden.

 

Calypso wasn’t a bad mother, certainly not, but she wasn’t one to teach Amby. She would set her up in the library with a book and would leave Amby to her own devices for most of the day. So Amby learned to teach herself what she needed to know. It was only when Thad had arrived that she truly knew that she knew very little. But she would have all the time in the world to learn, she realized.

 

A light sweat broke out on Thad’s face and he began to shake. Amby sat up and looked at him for a moment and realized he was having a night terror. She got a wet rag from the water basin on top of the dresser and gently dabbed at his brow.

 

“Thad!” she said, squeezing his hand gently.

 

“It’s only a dream,” Amby told him softly as she saw him begin to wake up.

 

It was the middle of the night and they were in the bedroom on the bed. Thad was breathing heavily and blinking his eyes. Amby squeezed his hand again, “Are you alright?” she asked and he sighed.

 

“Just a bad dream,” he shrugged off.

 

“Would you like to talk about it?”

 

“No...Yes. It’s just a recurring dream that I’ve been having since I...reanimated? I remember getting chased by cyclopes along with Luke, Annabeth, and a satyr; Grover. I told them to the run and held the monsters off just long enough for them to get to the top of the hill before a cyclops grabbed me. He must’ve thrown me fifty yards, because I landed at the base of the hill. I remember losing a lot of blood and dying. Then everything just stops and I wake up, years later. I feel like I lost something, Amby.” he sighed, “I wish I only knew what it was.”

 

Amby layed back down next to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. “We’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t know if we can.” he said softly and she lightly slapped his arm.

 

“Don’t say that,” she said, “We can and we will.”

 

They were silent for a while, neither feeling any need to breach the silence. Amby fell asleep to the sound of his breathing.

 

Her dreams were filled with seemingly never-ending IQ tests. Each one she would take she scored higher and higher, becoming sharply attuned at spotting breaks in patterns.

 

“What is the next term in the sequence: 1; 1; 28; 2; 8; 6; 992; 1; 3; 2; 16256; 2; 16; 16; 523264?” her test administrator would ask and she would think for a moment.

 

“24.” she replied.

 

“Correct.” And on it went.

 

When she woke up the next morning Amby could hear the light strumming of a guitar coming from the living room. She changed her clothes into a light and flowy peplos and followed the music into the front room.

 

Thad was sitting on the couch holding one of her old acoustic guitars in his lap. He looked up as she walked in. “Hey.” he said, putting the guitar down on the table.

 

“Morning.” she replied picking up an apple from the bowl on the kitchen island. She rinsed it under the water before taking a bite.

 

“What would you like to do today?” she asked him and he blushed a bit.

 

“I need to find some more clothes.” he told her and she smiled, “I can help you with that. Are the ones you brought with you holey? The spirits don’t usually damage the clothing they clean.”

 

“No, they’re just worn out.” Thad grinned at her. “Got any Green Day t-shirts?”

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

 

If someone told Thad that he’d be wearing only armor and sandals he would’ve laughed it off. Yet here he was, wearing leather armor and gladiator sandals as if he were about to fight in a gladiatorial ring. He was shocked that the clothes fit and Amby clearly noticed.

 

“The armor and shoes are charmed to fit the wearer.” she said and he nodded to her as he looked in the mirror at his reflection. He hadn’t aged any more, which was a relief.

 

“Thanks,” he said and she smiled at him.

 

Amby grabbed his hand and led him out of the bedroom and into the training room. “Spar with me?” she asked.

 

Thad frowned, “I didn’t know you fought.”

 

“Athena’s blessing.” she said, “I wanted to master it as much as I could.”

 

Thad nodded and walked to the center of the room. He pulled out his mace can and tapped his watch, transforming them both. His watch shifted into Aegis and his mace can turned into his spear.

 

Amby walked over to the wall filled with weapons and picked up a xiphos. She ran a hand over the blade and then moved over to a small cabinet and picked out a bronze breast plate before putting it on over her dress. She then put on a pair of metal bracers over her arms before walking over to him in the center of the room.

 

They began to circle each other and neither made any moves towards the other for a few minutes. Thad was the first to advance and he jabbed at her with his spear but she parried it off with her sword expertly.

 

“Surely, you have more to offer than that.” she teased and Thad grinned.

 

“You bet.”

 

They circled again and Thad channeled a small amount of electricity through his spear. Amby leapt forward and their weapons clashed. He thought he was getting the upperhand for a moment till she hit his spear hand with the hilt of her sword, forcing him to drop the weapon.

 

She held the sword up to his throat. “Yield?” she asked.

 

Thad stepped forward till the blade just lightly broke his skin. He felt a small stream of blood slide down his neck and watched as her hand started to slightly shake. The smell of his blood had set her off and she was staring at it from her position just inches away from him.

 

Thad smirked at her as he watched her struggle with her thirst. He pulled out a dagger and disarmed her while she tremored.

 

“I win.” He said as he held his dagger to her neck.

She looked up from his neck and into his eyes. Her green eye was becoming overcome with crimson mist and he couldn’t look away.

 

“Drop it.” she said and his grip loosened till he was forced to let go of the weapon. He didn’t want to, but he had to.

 

Scratch that. As he looked into her red eyes he suddenly wanted to. He wanted to do anything she told him to do. He was her willing slave and it didn’t even feel bad. No, it felt good. Like this was meant to be. He was meant to do what she wanted and he would if she only told him to.

 

Amby shook her head, as if she were trying to escape her own thoughts. Thad felt her control over his mind loosen and he frowned.

 

Amby fell onto her knees, “What was that?” he asked as he looked at her.

 

She looked lost. “I don’t know.” she said softly.

 

Thad walked over to her and helped her stand. She was shaking in his arms and after walking a feet he just picked her up. He carried her into the bedroom and placed her onto the bed. She was paler than normal and looked sickly.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked her.

 

Amby looked as if she were going to pass out any moment as he wished he hadn’t pushed her. “I feel weak.” she said and he left her for a moment before returning with his dagger in his hand.

 

“Here,” Thad said, slicing open his wrist. He grimaced at the pain, but held it to her mouth. She drank slowly at first, then faster and more desperately. Thad nudged her over and she made room for him on the bed.

 

He sat back against the headboard and watched her silently as her skin slowly became normal again. His blood dripped down her chin and he heard her sigh contentedly. She put a hand over his wrist, holding it to her mouth gently.

 

She only stopped when his eyes began to droop and he felt her lick the wound closed.

 

“Thank you.” she whispered against him and everything faded out.

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Everything was cold. Not just cold, but frigid. So cold that it burned. It burned like the coldest, deepest pit of Tartarus.

Thad felt like the smallest of ants below the biggest of boots. He was a only a dying light within the pit and gods, did that make him feel practically non-existent. 

 

He was not alone, someone was with him. Someone powerful. He could feel their power over darkness raging around him and through him. With every breath he took it became more and more apart of him.

 

A woman took form in the shadows and she looked more like Amby than Calypso did. It was Nyx, he realized.

 

As she made her way towards him her features grew more detailed. She had long curly black hair, like Amby, and pale moonlit skin, like Amby. The only thing that separated the two were the eyes and height. Sure, they both shared one crimson eye each, but instead of having a green eye Nyx had an eye the color of onyx.

 

Where Amby was petite, Nyx was tall and imposing. She was only an inch taller than Thad but boy, did that inch make all the difference. Thad felt like a kid in her presence.

 

“I have brought you here for a reason.” Nyx said and Thad thought he nodded, but he couldn’t be sure as he wasn’t even sure if he had a body here.

 

Black wings disturbed the shadows surrounding her and Thad guessed they they were the color of her hair.

 

“I am going to bestow my blessing upon you, son of Zeus.” she said and Thad felt himself get even colder if that was possible.

 

“Why?” his voice asked and Nyx laughed her voice broadcasting over the echoey pit. 

 

“Because I want to. And if I didn’t… well… let’s just say you wouldn’t like the consequences. After all, it is taboo to kill ones girlfriend.”

 

“I would never hurt Amby!”

 

Nyx sighed, “Of course you wouldn’t, but you wouldn’t exactly be in the right state of mind.”

 

“What?”

 

“When those that have my blessing feed to often on mortals, the mortals go insane. It used to be that they would just take on qualities of my blessing, but when humans last evolved, they became incapable of taking on those traits. Excluding the situation where I gave them my blessing, of course.” she said.

 

“So, I basically don’t have a choice.” he stated, clearly pissed off.

 

Nyx smiled at him. “No, you really don’t. But look at it this way, you’ll be immortal when you reach the ‘climax’ of your life. Your physical peak, if you will.”

 

Thad nodded. At this point, he just wanted to get it over with.

 

“Okay.” he said.

 

Nyx was within inches of him in mili-seconds. She placed a hand on his forehead and he screamed. Her hand burned and seared his skin. He could feel his humanity burning away and his throat began to burn with thirst.

 

“I hereby bless Thaddeus Grace with my domain of night. He is forged with my shadows, and made new with my power.” she spoke calmly and with deep sureness as Thad screamed.

Then everything stopped and Thad woke up.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Just a brief little chapter. Its mainly just a lemon and fluff, though it tells you a little about Nyx's blessing. Enjoy.

The first thing Thad saw was Amby. She was looking up at him from her position under his arm and looked as if she were looking at him for the first time.

His throat ached and burned. Thad clutched his neck and the sound he made was guttural. He smelled the air and he knew what he smelled was what he craved with every bone in his body.

He followed the scent to Amby's neck and rolled on top of her. He began to nip and kiss at the base of her throat till he heard her moan. His gums began to hurt and he felt his canines sharpen, pricking his tongue.

Amby could smell his blood and grabbed hold of his head and forcefully locked her lips over his. She sucked at his blood and he felt her frown when his wound closed.

Thad ran his hands over her thighs, hiking her gown up over her hips as he did so. Amby pulled off his armor and threw it onto the floor beside the bed, leaving him in his boxers and without a shirt.

She grabbed hold of his neck and pulled him back down.

He felt her nip at the skin of his neck and he angled his throat, allowing her better access to his jugular. He sliced open her's with the tip of one of his fangs and groaned as her blood hit his tongue. It tasted better than nectar and Thad no longer wondered why those blessed by Nyx could never be sated by anything but blood.

Thad hearn Amby moan before feeling her bite into his neck. Her hands clawed into his back and he felt himself bleed briefly before his skin closed again. Her left hand traveled up his spine to hold him in place.

Amby rocked against him and he ground himself into her.

She pulled back from his neck and whispered in his ear. "More."

"More?" he asked.

Her voice was breathy, "Yes."

He sat back on his heels and pulled her up so that he could take off her dress. His hands shook on the clasps holding it in place but she made quick work of it. With surprising strength, she flipped them over and stripped im of his underwear.

Amby was beautiful with untarnished clear skin and soft curves. Her breasts fit perfectly in the palm of his hand and Thad groaned as she straddled him and rocked her hips over his cock.

She had his blood running down her lips and damn, was it hot. Thad placed his hands on her neck and kissed her deeply, groaning into her mouth as she moved her hips over him.

"I want you." she said, and he pulled back.

"Are you sure?" he asked and she nodded.

She began to slowly slide down his length at an agonizingly slow pace. Thad fought the urge to thrust as he watched her grimace at the pain of her first time.

After a few moments she had begun riding him slowly and Thad groaned. She was so warm and tight. He flipped them over and thrust into her and she moaned. Amby rocked herself onto him, meeting him thrust for thrust.

Their movements got faster, harder and their breathing got rougher as time wore on. Thad's thrusts increased and Amby moaned beneath him. They were getting closer to their pleasure peaks and everything became more chaotic. More primal.

To a normal mortal, they would be only two blurs on the mattress. Nyx's blessing made them faster, stronger, and far more durable than normal demigods. Thad was riding a high that he had gotten from the blessing. To say he felt energized would be an understatement. He felt like he could do anything.

His vision began to get hazy and Thad's thrusts grew more desperate as he came. Amby clutched his shoulders as she shook beneath her the weight of her orgasm.

He rolled over and pulled her over onto his chest. Amby looked into his eyes, silent for a moment.

"Nyx's blessing?" she asked and he grinned.

"Yep." he said.

"You look different now." she said.

"Good different? Or bad different?"

"Good different, but I wonder how the gods will react." Amby said before forcing him to look into the mirror on the dresser.

She was right. Gone were his blue eyes and in their place were a pair of matching crimson. He was as pale as Amby now and his muscles were more defined. He looked as if he had grown an inch or two, making him around 6'3'. His neck was covered in dried blood, but there was no wound anymore.

He turned to look at Amby. "I wonder how this'll affect the prophecy…" he told her and she beamed up at him.

"That's the cool thing. You get to be a wild card."

Thad nodded and she began kissing a line up his chest.

He smiled at her and she straddled him again. "Ready to go again?" she teased.


	10. Chapter 10

A few hours went by and eventually they got out of the bed and put their clothes back on. Amby walked into the living room to see another golden envelope on the mantle and her box of supplies sitting on the couch. How it got there, she didn't know. Perhaps Calypso brought it over? Amby shook her head. It didn't really matter how it got there.

She picked the letter off the mantle and carefully broke open the seal. The parchment was still warm, as if it had just been created. Only one word was printed on the paper and it was written in a clear and concise hand.

Blood

Amby's brows furrowed. Was that her second domain? How was that a domain? Sure, everyone had blood of some sort, but what powers would that give her?

Thad came into the room and she handed him the letter. He read it over twice, as if trying to figure out what would come along with it.

"You probably got this domain because of Nyx." he said and she nodded in agreement.

"Probably." she agreed and sat on the couch, placing the box on her lap. She opened it up and immediately sensed her symbol's strength. Reaching in, she pulled out the golden diadem.

It was delicately made, but not easily broken. The diadem was made of Imperial gold and glowed with power. As she held it in her hand she felt the powers of each of her already given domains and she felt powerful.

Amby placed the diadem down gently in her lap and spotted a dagger that she felt inexplicably connected to. It had a gold hilt and was wrapped in cloth that matched the color of her crimson eye. She pulled it out of it's sheath and ran a hand down the blade. The blade was gold, like the hilt and her diadem. The tip was sharpened to a sharp tip and Amby felt it briefly break open the skin on her ring finger.

Blood welled and spilled onto the blade. It suddenly glowed and Amby's head began to throb, and her eyes burned. She clutched a hand to her forehead in pain and Thad walked over to her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"My head…" she whispered, pinching her eyes closed as they began to burn more and more.

"Would blood help?"

"Maybe? It hurts to think." she said as her brain pulsed.

Thad put his wrist to his mouth and bit. He held out his wrist to her mouth, but before she could begin to drink, his blood began to float into the air surrounding her, defying gravity. It flowed from his wrist around her face and touched her eyelids, seeming to sink into them.

His wound closed and the blood flow stopped. "Amby," he said, speechless.

"Yes?" she said softly as her headache began to break.

"Open your eyes, please." her brows furrowed but she did as he asked.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Thad was shocked to see that both her eyes were now crimson. The whites of her eys were still white, but her pupils were no longer outlined in gray. It looked as if her pupils were trying to reach out past the red, but the crimson held it at bay, only allowing a few streaks of black to stretch out from her pupil.

Thad grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her up off of the couch. Her diadem slid off her lap and onto the cushion. The dagger remained in her hand, unsheathed.

He took her into the bathroom and stood her in front of the mirror. She looked at her reflection for a few moments in disbelief before her expression showed acceptance.

"They match." she stated and he saw her frown as a thought occured to her.

"Does this mean I have lost my connection to the sea?" she asked him and he shrugged.

"We can test that out, if you feel like it?"

"Yes." she agreed and they left the cave for the beach, passing the river by.

"I don't think you'd lose your powers over the sea just because your becoming a goddess." Thad said to her and she nodded absentmindedly.

"I have to check, just to be sure."

Thad felt himself nod. They continued down to the beach and he released her hand as she began to walk into the sea.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

She walked till she was waist deep in sea-water. Amby searched for her connection to the sea and all of it's creatures. She felt a pull in her gut and the soft waves grew rough. Water jumped and leaped into the air around her. It circled around her till she was obscured from view and she heard Thad shout from the beach.

His shout broke her out of her trance and the water collapsed back into itself. Amby took a few moments to breath in the sea air before she walked out of the water and up to Thad.

He looked relieved and she smiled.

"It worked." was all she said.

He opened his arms to her and she hugged him, relief pouring out of her in waves.

They were both silent for a time, both thinking about what was happening. Amby knew in her bones that he was going to leave. She just wanted to know if she could go with him.

"I wonder how long has passed since I came here." he pondered, "I think it's almost time for me to leave."

Amby flinched back at his words, disguising her movement as a shiver.

"What is the mortal world like?" she asked.

"It's… hard to explain. It all seems so simple when you grow up there, but the explanations are far more complicated." he claimed and Amby nodded in understanding.

"What's going on, out there? Every time one of the gods visit, they speak in hushed whispers, like something big is happening."

"Kronus is rising. A friend of mine- a former friend, Annabeth, is waging a war against the gods." he told her.

Amby looked like she wanted to ask more, but she decided against it. Instead, she looked up at Thad and grinned. "Feel like testing out the blessing?" she asked and he smirked.

"And how would you like to do that?"

"We race. See how fast we can go." She said and he grinned like a little kid.

"Sounds like fun," he said before taking off, faster than any mortal. Amby laughed before following suit.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

A few hours later, Thad was laughing as Amby made a face at the taste of the sour skittles the spirits had gotten him.

"What is this? Why are these so tart? Are they meant to make my mouth feel raw? Who would like something that did that?" She asked him after she had swallowed a couple pieces.

Thad just grinned at her and she pouted when she got no real response. Her pout made her look adorable, but he had spent enough time with the little kids at camp to be immune to her powers.

"I wonder what your next domain will be?" Thad questioned, leaning back against the wall as they sat on the floor.

"I don't even know how to work the one I just got… But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious."

He watched her tuck a locke of hair behind her ear. "Maybe your next domain will take you off the island." he suggested.

She looked sad for a moment. Like someone had kicked her puppy.

"I don't think that'll ever happen." she said softly, almost brokenly. An apple popped out of nowhere and landed in her hand. She bit into it almost angrily. If one could bite into an apple, while angry, and not slice open their tongue on their own fangs that is.

Yeah, you could say Thad was still learning.

"Don't give up hope," he said, "You never know when someone more powerful than yourself will turn you into a tree, incidentally saving the life you had given up hope on."

She laughed a bit, "Speaking from experience, are we?"

Thad laughed along with her, "Yeah." he said, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

She took another bite and licked her lips, "I dream you're still here." she said.

"What?" he said dumbly.

"I wish you didn't have to leave. I wish I wasn't stuck here. I wish I could go with you." she spoke softly, as if to herself. He scoot closer to her and held her hand.

"Maybe you can."he said and she looked angry. It was the first time he had seen her legitimately angry.

She let go of his hand and took another bite. "You shouldn't get my hopes up." she warned, "I don't want to end up like my mother."

And there it was, he thought. That must be some fear of he for her to get so riled up about it.

He grabbed hold of her hand and when she tried to remove it yet again, he held on tight. He pulled her onto his lap and forced her to look at him.

"We'll find a way," he told her and it seemed to reassure her for a bit, but she just smiled sadly at him. As if she knew they would fail.

A thought ran through his mind and Thad smiled at her. "I take it your belief in the curse means you care?" he teased and she blushed.

Amby lowered her face to his and whispered. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" Thad snorted, "I mean, who couldn't love this face?"

She cracked a smile and they laughed.

She trailed a hand on his arm and spoke softly, "So what if i do?" she teased and Thad felt the grin slide off of his face, a hopeful expression taking its place.

He grabbed her neck and she kissed him slowly, as if savoring the time they spent together. Her hands slowly slid up his chest up to around his neck, drawing him closer.

Thad felt her pull back and she whispered in his ear.

"Your right."

Thad felt as if the earth had dropped out from under him. Your right.

She had actually said that. Thad smiled as he pulled her back down and kissed her again. In hindsight, it should have occurred to him way sooner that she cared for him, but then again, maybe it had and he was just waiting for her to admit it. He didn't really care about the answer… the only thing that mattered was that she cared about him as much as he did her.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"Your right." Amby told him and she felt herself fall further as he began to smile at her. She smiled right back at him as he kissed her again.

Gods, what would she do without him? Before, she was just a prisoner, trapped in her home and stuck living the same day over and over. When she was with him… she felt as if she were more than that. Amby hoped that she wouldn't be left behind when he left.

If she was lucky, she wouldn't have to find out. But then again, good luck doesn't really run in the family.


	11. Chapter 11

Amby stretched out on the bed like a cat. She could hear Thad strumming the guitar as she got off the mattress. She put on a sea blue peplos and hummed to the song as she followed its music into the library.

He was sitting on one of the cushioned benches between the shelves with the guitar perched in his lap. To his left was an open book with a bookmark on the page.

Amby smiled at him as she walked over. He looked up and grinned at her.

"Hey," he said, "I found a book on Calypso's curse."

When he saw her brow lift he quickly clarified, "I thought since Calypso didn't keep you around the heroes that came, we could look it up before asking her to cover some specifics that the book doesn't."

She picked up the book and sat next to him. He pointed to the page where it began and told her to read.

"The Curse of Ogyia," she read, "Often mscontstued as being specific to Calypso, that isn't the case. The curse is on the island and any who live there. It only affects those of the female gender, hence the fact that no heroines have ever visited the island.

"The constraints of the curse are listed below:

~When a hero lands on the island, he is injured or hurt in some way, whether it be physical, or otherwise.

~The cursed will see the good qualities within the here, no matter how unredeemable that hero may be.

~After the cursed had fallen under Aphrodite's domain, regardless of whether or not the hero loves them back, the hero will be forced by fate to leave.

~The cursed will remain on the island unless freed by a gods will.

~After that, the cursed awaits the next hero to visit her island. "

Amby looked up from the book at Thad. But he was grinning, and didn't look worried.

She frowned, "Why are you so happy?"

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Thad just kept grinning. He put the guitar down and pulled her into his lap.

"Don't you see?" he asked her, "We have an out."

"Poseidon already tried to get me out, he tried when I was a baby." she said, but his smile didn't falter.

"I don't think that he's the god you need to free you." He said and her brows furrowed.

"I think you have to be the one to free yourself."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

A few days passed and they thought on the constraints of the curse. Amby trained while she slept, mastering the domain of blood quickly, as most of the training was accelerated in her sleep to allow her to do so.

Blood was far more complex than she had ever dreamed. No pun intended.

All she had to do was control the blood flow in someone's body to get them to do what she willed. Amby could stop the hearts of her enemies when she wasn't in the same room. She could force an enemy army to fight for her instead of against. With a wave of her hand, she could bring a person's blood to a boil, burning away everything that connected them to their humanity.

Now, they awaited the arrival of her third domain. She and Thad sat on the couch, huddled together talking about their lives outside each other. Which was a very limited conversation on her end. Well, she beat at him studying, at least.

"There was this one time when Luke got his ass handed to him by Nico. He had taught that kid everything he knew. I don't think he expected Nico to surpass him in the skills department, though. Nico probably didn't for that matter either. Luke was the best swordsman in the hundred years, or at least by who Chiron had teached." Thad regaled her and she hummed as she listened.

"How old is Nico?" she asked him and Thad was silent for a moment.

"He was thirteen when I became conscious again, but last I knew he was about to turn fourteen. " he got quiet, "I wonder how long has passed since I've been here…"

"I wish I could tell you that," she said, "But I don't even know if my real age is the same there as it is here."

He nodded as if he understood her worry, like she had nodded when he told her his. Neither really knew what would happen if they succeeded at finding a way off the island togethers, but still they hoped.

Thump.

They both flinched at the sound that filled the silence they had, but it was nothing but her box sliding from the dining room table and into a chair. Amby sat up and walked over to the table, Thad standing up behind her.

The box sat in one of the chairs closest to her, but another golden envelope was in the center of the table. Her barefeet pattered over the stone floor and onto the rug that was tucked underneath the table. She pulled out a chair and promptly sat next to the box, opting to grab the envelope first.

She broke the seal and pulled out the parchment. The hand that wrote it was neat, but childish, with a heart above the 'i'.

Mortal Coils.

Amby put the parchment back into the envelope and sighed. Clearly, from what she could gather at least, it connected to her power of over blood.

She theorized that she would be able to bind a soul to the mortal realm, similar to the Styxx. Amby wondered if she could bind a soul to an immortal and make that soul's life connected to that immortal.

She would if she was right in time.

Amby opened the box and pulled out her dagger and diadem, placing them on the table as she did so.

The dagger and diadem glowed with power. The diadem's glow had changed from before; instead of broadcasting power, it pulled it from the air that surrounded it.

Amby glanced at the dagger. It brightened when she looked at it, drawing her in. It's power felt not necessarily malignant, but certainly not good. She resisted the urge to keep holding it.

Her hands held the box open and she could sense water in a vial. Amby reached in and picked up the vial and unraveled a small note that was attached.

It was written in ancient greek, but Amby could translate it easily.

To be drunk on the fifth day of the second month in the light of the moon while soaking in the most natural of waters.

'The most natural of waters'? Amby was silent in contemplation for a moment and she felt Thad look over her shoulder at the vial. The water in the vial was a deathly grey and seemed to flow even when held perfectly still.

She handed Thad the note and he read it carefully.

"Could it mean the sea?" he asked and she shook her head.

"I don't think so." she was silent till a smile lit up her face, "A spring!"

"A spring?"

Amby nodded, "Yes. A natural spring. You can't get any more natural than that."

Thad looked at the vial again. "Is that water from the Styxx?"

She followed his eyes to the vial and shook her head again.

"I think it's water from all the rivers." she paused, "Theoretically, you could bear the blessing of any of them. But no one has ever tried anything but the Styxx."

"Are the others bound by mortal coils as well?" he asked and she nodded.

"I believe so," Amby said.

"Supposedly, the Styxx binds you to the most important person in your life. The Acheron would connect you to the memory of a loved one that has passed. The Lethe binds you to those that you have forgotten-"

"How does that work?" Thad interrupted.

"The Lethe's blessing would most likely be the easiest lost, as it binds you to an absense of memory. Memory is lost and gained at any point in life, so if you remember those that you had forgotten…" she trailed off and Thad nodded.

"You lose the blessing. Go on."

"The Cocytus makes you unable to be in a stage outside of woe for a long amount of time. If you heal from your grief, you lose the blessing. With the Phlegethon, it forever ties you to those that you are passionate about or for. The Acheron ties you to the feeling of woe, similar to the Cocytus, except it locks you into a state of depression. If you ever find true happiness…" she trailed again.

Thad nodded, "You lose the blessing."

"Yes." she said, grabbing a piece of leather and tying it around the mouth of the vial and putting it around her neck.

She felt tired all of a sudden, as if her energy was silently slipping away. She pulled the necklace off and put it in the box, and sure enough, her energy returned to her. She sighed and put her other magical tools back into the box and it disappeared from her hands.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

That night, Thad stayed up watching Amby as she dreamt. Her eyes moved beneath her lids and she would make soft sounds beneath her breath occasionally.

Her hair was fanned out beneath her head, and it was soft against his skin as she curled into him. He twirled a strand around his finger gently as he thought about the war.

What was going on out there? Who was winning? Thad hoped that the demigods were preparing to defend themselves. They all knew that Kronus would eventually attack the camp directly.

But how would he do it? Thad shook himself when he realized the answer. He'd use the labyrinth! There was an entrance to the labyrinth within the camp's boundaries after all.

How would he find his way through it? Thad had only wandered through it, and everytime he had looked back, he would see the walls change and shift as he passed. There had to be a way to find your way through the labyrinth…

How do you map a trail? You mark it in some way or leave a trail behind you to be able to find your way back. You could leave crumbs… or you could leave string! Ariadne's string!

Thad let go of Amby hair and got out of bed and went into the library to research. How would he find Ariadne's string?

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

The dreams were odd, to say the least. Unlike the ones that came before, these were showing what she would be able to do instead of what she could currently do.

Amby was walking through the underworld like a ghost. She felt like one, even though she wasn't really there.

She found herself following one of the five rivers. As she walked, she found herself nearing the others, as if nearing where they were all connected.

A woman manifested from the water and they walked side by side, only to be joined by another watery female presence.

On they walked, deeper and deeper into the underworld, Amby listened to the whispering voices of the women on either side of her, letting them guide her to the center of where they drew power.

It wasn't there one moment, but there the next, and Amby felt her barefeet touch the cool, yet scalding, waters of power. It energized her and she sighed as she felt light pleasure roll through her.

The other women had stopped where their rivers began and Amby continued walking till she stood in the absolute center. It was a lake, she realized. A small one, but a lake nonetheless.

Amby felt the water drop out from under her and submerge her struggling body. She breathed in the energizing waters and screamed. It filled her lungs and she knew what it was like to drown.


	12. Chapter 12

Amby drowned for an eternity. Never did it cease, or at least not till she truly felt herself let go.

It was difficult to breathe as she came to. She was laying in her bed and felt herself hyperventilating. She ached with stress and looked up to find Thad looking at her with concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked and Amby began to calm down.

She sat up and felt tears stream down her face. Anxiety coasted through her and she pulled Thad down onto the bed. She hugged herself to him, trying desperately to breathe.

Thad held her tight as she shook with anxiety. His head was over her's and he gently rocked her back and forth to get her to calm down.

Minutes passed before she stopped shaking.

"You were out for almost two days." he said.

"I was drowning in the rivers and they wouldn't release me. I couldn't swim or do anything but breathe in that awful water." she told him shakily, her voice trying to regain its strength.

"You're not there, you are here and I won't let anything happen to you." he kept her wrapped in his arms and she clung to him like a small child.

"It's the fifth day," he told her and she squeezed her eyes shut. After taking a few deep breaths, Amby pulled away. She dragged him up and they washed up before eating.

Day turned to night and they walked to the chosen spring with the vial gripped in her hand.

They waited for the moon to reach it's highest point in the sky before they began. Amby pulled the water from the spring into the air and willed it to hover in the air around her. She sat down where the water had once been and her peplos was muddied by the earth. When the moon's light touched her spot, Amby opened the vial and grimaced before downing the whole of it in one gulp.

After a moment, her body began to burn and she shook with pain. It was agonizing and her body couldn't handle it. Amby began to seize on the ground and as a last show of strength, tried desperately to absorb the spring water into her body. Her body stilled as the last drop of water fell into her skin and surprisingly, healed her.

Her heart beat hard in her chest. She took deep breaths and fell back, laying on the soft grass.

Thad approached her with caution before sitting next to her.

Amby looked up at him and her look turned to horror as he took her hand. Sweat immediately broke out on his skin and he began to convulse as she had, but she had nothing to heal him with. She screamed as he shook.

Amby swiftly ripped open her wrist with her teeth without care and held it to his mouth. But his jaw was clenched and would not open. Tears poured down her face and when he did not drink, she held him down.

"Thad!" she said, but his shaking did not slow.

Her mind became alarmingly calm in the moments to come. She willed her pulse to steady and she felt her domains come into play.

Most of her focus was on ensuring his heart continued to beat, though another part was focused on finding a way to end his pain the quickest.

How? How? How?!

No water of the spring remained; she had absorbed all of it herself. They were not close enough to the sea…

Domains! What were her domains?

Intelligence

Amby took in everything about Thad at that moment. He was sweating, convulsing, and his skin felt like it was seconds away from melting out from beneath her fingertips.

She focused her mind on calming his temperature like she did with water, but it only worked slightly. But just enough to barely stop him from sweating.

Blood

She continued to divide up her focus to her domains to steady his heart and cool him down.

His shaking slowed, but his back arched in pain and he groaned behind clenched teeth.

"Thad! You need to drink!" she commanded, but he seemed not to hear her.

What else, what else?

Mortal Coils, of course!

Amby struggled to remember her training. Her mind was a chaotic mess, and she could barely navigate it.

It struck her then; the only thing she could do besides wait.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

When Thad made contact with Amby after she had gone through that, well, whatever it was, he was hit by a wave of severe pain.

It was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and even beat out his time as a cyclops' skipping stone.

The pain pulsed and just got worse the longer it took to go through his system. He had lost any sense of time to the pain and it seemed endless.

Suddenly he heard his name being called out from a distance. It was soft and loving. The voice invited him closer and he regained his sight.

The pain was in the back of his mind at this point as he took in the vision before him.

He was walking down a hall, following the echo of the voice. Thad stopped at the door to the room to listen. He caught sight of his own visage in the mirror on the wall as he heard a soft lullaby reach his position outside the door.

He pushed the door open gently to reveal a small bedroom, not unlike the one he had shared with his baby brother, Jason.

The walls were painted a pale blue, though most of it was a mural of sorts. A forest covered the walls and when he looked up he spotted a night sky on the ceiling that seemed charmed to give off the moon's light.

Across from the door was a dresser and box filled with toys. He stepped into the room as he heard the soft gurgle of a baby and light movement.

In the center of the room was a wooden crib and a woman with her back turned to him. She rocked a small baby in her arms and whispered soft words to the infant.

She placed the baby in the crib and turned to face him. She was happy to see him. Genuinely happy.

She grabbed him by the hand and pulled the door closed. They got a couple of feet away before she pulled him into another room and pulled him onto a bed.

"I love you, Thad." Amby told him as she kissed a trail up his neck.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. He would never be able to let her go, that he was sure of.

She rocked against him and he groaned

"Wake up, Thad." she whispered.

"Wha-"

"Wake up!"


	13. Chapter 13

Thad opened his eyes to see Amby kneeling above him with tears streaming down her face.

"What happened? Why are you crying?" he asked her and pushed himself up into a sitting position.

She wiped her cheeks with her hands and seemed to be trying to calm down. Her hands shook as she did so and she was slow to speak.

When she did, she started out with anxious laughter that turned into a sob, "You just left me, and I thought I'd never see you again. That's it. That's all."

Thad pulled himself and Amby over to lean against the nearest tree as they sat and calmed themselves.

His body felt exhausted, yet energized and he wondered what had happened to him now. Amby didn't know or she would have said something, but he knew she was the one that pulled him back from that edge.

"How did you stop the pain? I didn't think it would ever end, and then... I saw something."

Amby's brows furrowed and she seemed unaware of his vision.

"What did you see?" she asked.

Thad looked away briefly. He wanted time to think on that himself before he said anything. He looked back when he heard her sigh softly against him.

"I found a way to bind you to me temporarily, for those moments it took for whatever happened to pass. Thad..." she trailed off, picking up his hand and forcing him to look at their intertwined fingers

For a moment, only her tone struck him as odd. It felt important, whatever she had to say. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. He glowed like she did; in that way that only gods did.

"Thad, I think it burned away your mortality."

Amby felt sick physically and mentally and emotionally as she walked with Thad back to the cave. He was frustrated and angry. She couldn't blame him.

He was changing more and more as he stayed here. Physically, he was no longer human, no longer demigod, no longer mortal.

"I won't be able to help them." he said, "Any of them."

"Why not?" she asked and he glared, not at her, but up at the sky.

"Ancient Laws. They forbid the gods from aiding their children on quests of any sort." he told her and she pulled him to a stop.

"Thad, you don't have any children to help. That rule doesn't apply to you." Amby said to him and it clearly took a moment to process.

When it did, Thad's face slowly broke out into a smile.

"You're a genius!" He cried, lifting her up into the air and spinning around.

They walked further and came across the sound of shouting. They followed the voice to the forest at the beach's edge.

The voice was male and the closer they got, the more familiar the voice sounded to Thad. It almost sounded like...

"Nico?" Thad asked as they walked out of the trees onto the beach.

There sat a soaking son of Hades with his hand wringing out excess water from his hair while a black leather jacket dried under the sun.

Amby peeked out from behind Thad and smiled at the younger demigod.

Nico pushed himself off the sand and ran to Thad, his jacket forgotten.

He had gotten taller, put more weight on, and clearly let the shade black take over his sense of style. Nico looked to be around fifteen now, maybe a little younger. His voice was deeper, though not raspy enough to have dropped recently.

"Thad? What happened to you? What the fuck are you wearing? Where the fuck are we? Also: sorry to break it to you, but since I'm not dead, it's safe to say I'm Uncle P's favorite nephew."

Amby laughed and Nico peered around Thad to see her smiling.

Nico turned back to Thad and nodded to him with a brow quirked. Nice, he seemed to say without words.

"Come," Amby said, "We'll get you some more clothes."

"Not armor, Amby, no one want to see his pale ass winter legs." Thad said and Nico looked like his honor had been insulted.

"I'll have you know, it's summer, and I look like this year round." Nico reminded and they laughed.

Amby appeared next to him then, holding his now dry but sandy jacket in her hands. She handed Nico his jacket before pulling him in the direction of the cave. Thad followed them, committing to memory the questions he had for his younger cousin.

Nico guessed that he was just as shocked with the status of the cave as much as Thad had been when he first arrived. His onyx gaze trailed along the room and finally found Amby a she re entered the room.

She showed him to the bathroom and handed him a towel and a pair of jeans.

"The jeans were Thad's but their too short on him now." she said, smiling as she exited the room.

Nico nodded to himself and hopped into the shower.

When he got out, he found Thad alone on the couch waiting for him.

Nico slid into the nearest chair.

"Amby went to bed. It's kind of been a long day." Thad said leaning back into the cushions.

Nico was the first to speak after that. "Thad, how long have you been here?"

"Only about a week, but time works differently here." he said, "As I'm sure you can tell."

Nico could. He looked to be in his early twenties, eighteen at the youngest, and Nico knew in that moment that he was going to be the one to reach sixteen 'against all odds'.

"Thad, you've been gone about a year." Nico said and Thad nodded as if he expected as much.

Thad smiled at him, "So how's everyone?"

"You know; angsty and mostly there." Nico said, "Bianca- she's with Dad, now."

"Was she the only one to die?" Thad asked, and Nico frowned.

"No, Zoe Nightshade died as well on the quest to rescue Artemis."

Thad nodded. He had never quite liked the lieutenant of Artemis, but she was brave and fought for the things she believed in. Those were things he liked to think they shared in common.

"What else had happened?"

"Malcolm received a prophecy. That's kinda how I ended up here. The quest, I mean." Nico said, rubbing his forehead.

"What was the prophecy?"

"You shall dwell in the darkness of the endless maze,

The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise,

You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand,

The child of Athena's final stand,

Destroy with a hero's final breath,

And lose a love to worse than death."

"Sounds like every prophecy. Probably far more dramatic than it actually is." Thad understated flippantly.

Nico didn't laugh.

"Who's on this quest?" Thad asked.

"Luke, Tyson, Grover, and me." Nico said while his right leg bounced.

"How did you get here?" Nico asked, "I mean, I'm pretty sure we didn't get here the same way."

Thad grinned, "I know an exit to the labyrinth. I found it when I fell out and found myself here."

"Then what are we waiting for? We need to get back." Nico said, hopping to his feet and Thad frowned.

"The only reasons I haven't already left are A) the fact that we don't know what we're looking for and B) Amby." Thad said.

"Can she even get out?"

"I think so, but I'm not so sure as I'd like to be." Thad spoke softly so Amby wouldn't wake up and hear.

"We'll never know unless we try." Nico reminded him and Thad nodded.

"But regardless, we still need to prepare-"

"Now you sound like Malcolm." Nico sighed.

"And we need to get some rest."

"Oh, Thad, Malcolm said something about Ariadne's string. Do you think we need to look for that?" Nico asked the son of Zeus and Thad nodded.

"I think so, but from what I've read-"

"Now you really sound like Malcolm."

Thad glared at the demigod and Nico stopped talking.

"I think we need to find the heart of the maze. Daedalus' workshop should be the center. That's where it'll probably be." Thad said, standing up.

He pulled out a blanket and pillow from a cabinet and handed the items to Nico.

"Get some rest, we'll need it. You'll need it." With that, Thad left Nico to the couch.

Gods, tomorrow was going to be a bitch.

When Thad woke up the next morning the first sounds that greeted him were Amby's humming and the scraping of a fork against a plate.

He crawled out of bed and put on the armor he had taken to wearing, he would change if they decided to leave today. As it was, he made sure all of his stuff was together just in case. He soon followed the sounds to the dining area where Nico was shoveling food into his face at optimum speed with Amby... embroidering, her own plate clean in front of her.

Amby looked up as he approached, her crimson eyes smiling happily at him. She scooted over on the bench and made room for him to sit beside her.

Her chiton was a dark navy with silver accenting along the hem, making her skin looked almost glowing and when he looked closer, she was glowing even more. She had braided her hair out of her face, but a few strands clung to her face as she worked.

"Good morning," He yawned and they nodded, all of them quiet until each of them had finished eating.

"We think we found what we would be searching for." Thad began and Amby stilled, hesitating in her needlework for a moment before resuming.

"And?"

Thad blew out a breath and Nico took his leave silently, disappearing into the shadows.

"Amby we have to try. You can't stay here for the rest of your days and I can't stay here with you-"

"-Thad-"

"Amby. Please. Please try."

He took the needlework from her and placed it on the table.

Her perfect features were pale and contorted in worry.

"What if it doesn't work, Thad? What if I'm stuck here, forever?"

Thad swallowed and pulled her into his arms. She fell into them and gripped his back.

"Then I'll come back when it's all over- I'll come back for you, Amby."

They were silent for a handful of minutes before she whispered her affirmation softly against his chest.

"Okay."

Amby had packed a bag for herself with a change of clothes, donning her armor as she packed, grimacing when it settled against her stomach.

Something didn't feel right.

But she swallowed down her apprehension.

She hadn't been able to bring herself to tell Calypso goodbye so she had penned down a letter instead.

She knew it made her a terrible daughter but she couldn't- she just couldn't do it.

Because she knew it would be like saying she knew, without a doubt, that she would be able to go with him.

Amby blinked away the tears and took final stock before following the boys to the cave entrance. They had put it all of for the rest of the day so the sun was just touching down on the horizon as they darted out into the night, Thad gripping her hand in his as if he too was worried.

It was not reassuring, but she loved him all the more for it.

Her other hand rubbed circles over her stomach and she chocked it up to nerves, but she felt sick to her stomach.

When they finally found their way to the mountain entrance to the labyrinth they stopped when they found the gold box blocking it.

She blew out a breath and opened it, praying that she wouldn't pass out this time.

The symbols were shrunk down to charms on a bracelet and she donned it with barely any notice, paying attention to the letter that was stuck to the lid of the box.

Time is uncertain, Ambrosia. Keep this letter for it shall show you the light.

Scrawled beneath in big looping letters was a word that made her crease the perfect page in shock.

Motherhood.

She relaxed after a moment and folded the letter back up stepping back to where Nico and Thad were standing, bickering to themselves.

She swallowed down her apprehension and smiled at the two- she was resolved not to tell Thad- at least not yet.

Worry at ate her, turning her stomach in knots as she crumbled her skirt in hand, pointing at the two of them to open the entrance.

A baby? They were having a baby?

Thad pulled her in hand to the entrance where Nico pressed a delta symbol, revealing a doorway of sorts.

Nico slid inside, then Thad, who was pulling her along.

And then it happened.

A light blinded them all and Thad and Nico were blown away from the entrance, Amby falling to her knees, her eyes blinking against the light.

The entrance began to brick itself back up and Amby could hear Thad scream as they were separated.

And she screamed too.


	14. Epilogue

The letter had taunted her for months- yes, months.

Time had slowed to a crawl in Ogygia and Amby had ballooned in the time that had passed.

Hermes had been the one to tell her that the labyrinth had been destroyed upon the quest's completion.

Pain.

That small word had been scrawled childishly on the cream colored paper and Amby had screamed for what felt like days until her mother found her on the mountain side with her bag and that damn letter crinkled in her hands.

Sure enough, on that final day she had been read her titles- titles she despised and devoted herself to not ever recall, going so far as to drink water from the Lethe.

But it seemed her memory of Thad would not fade like the titles so easily had and so she had shut herself in her room.

Indeed, if this was what madness felt like she could easily imagine.

It was only her immortality that kept her alive for some time- that blessed immortality protecting her baby it would seem too.

As time passed she came out of herself slowly and Aunt Hestia visited her- thankfully leaving out tales of any heroes.

It was today though that she found herself sitting on the beach atop a blanket when a figure appeared on the horizon atop a makeshift boat.

Tears swam in her eyes and she thought for a brief moment that it might be Thad.

It wasn't.


End file.
